Kingdom Bastion
by EcoJak
Summary: TEMPORARILY ON HOLD. AU. Darkness, Keyblades, and a kingdom in crisis. What's a young king to do? Prologue up.
1. Prologue

**Kingdom Bastion: Prologue**

Hollow Bastion was once a beautiful paradise, filled with the hopeful smiles of the people and prospered from the beauty of the land. Day by day, the people lived their lives under the warm protection of their beloved king, Ansem. The sun shone brightly on the kingdom, and everyone was at peace.

However... this reign of peace was not meant to be.

One moonlit night, disaster stuck. Darkness suddenly swept over the land, destroying anything and everything it touched. Dark creatures, now referred to as the "Heartless", sprouted from the immense darkness and attacked the peaceful citizens of the land. Powerful soldiers swarmed from the castle, ready to battle the Heartless, but dropped like flies, one by one, by the powerful force.

And who would lead these devastating creatures into battle on this moonlit night?

None other than the king's former apprentice, Xehanort, himself.

It seemed that Xehanort held a grudge against Ansem for issuing the future role of king to his middle child, Sora, rather than himself even though Xehanort had served Ansem loyally each and every passing day. It wasn't long before Xehanort had attempted to fight the king, but was banished from the kingdom soon after for his treachery. Xehanort obliged to the banishment, but on one condition; he could take the king's youngest child, Roxas, with him for revenge. Regretting the decision severely, Ansem agreed, figuring that it would be best for the kingdom.

Oh, how wrong he was.

Ansem looked on from his castle at the figure of Xehanort, smirking devilishly as the Heartless destroyed the land. It seemed like he would get what he desired for after all.

But that's what _he _thought.

Thinking quickly, Ansem drew his sword and leapt at Xehanort, ready to strike with all his might at his former apprentice. However, the king hadn't depended on the fact that Xehanort would learn to wield the darkness himself and had fallen from a single blow to the chest from the dark ruler.

As the mighty king withered away, he spoke these final words to his friend, who was a king himself.

_Take my child and leave this place. He needs to grow up somewhere safe until he is old enough to destroy the darkness. _

That was the last anyone heard from Ansem. The sword he once held levitated into the night sky, and shone a brilliant light over the kingdom, driving away the darkness and Xehanort, and saving the kingdom from destruction...

...For now.

The other king, Mickey, had taken his friend's dying advice, and blasted off into the stars, with Sora in hand, to a beautiful paradise known as the Destiny Islands, where he would live his days, happy and free from harm.

This is where our story truly begins...


	2. I: Meeting

**Kingdom Bastion: Session I**

_Stars flickered beautifully above in the midst of the deep, twilight sky, shining in their wondrous brilliance. The breeze felt cool on his pale skin. For the moment, it seemed that all of his worries, his fears, would be washed away in the vast, shimmering sea. _

_Wait._

_A chill ran through his spine. Something's not right._

_Suddenly, the serenity was broken; the very earth trembling underneath his feet. The world itself seemed to shatter like shards of crystalline glass. A vast darkness eclipsed the scenery, leaving him trapped in an endless abyss. He tried to scream, but his voice was gone... lost in the darkness._

**DiVe InTo ThE hEaRt...**

_**Don't be afraid.**_

_Who said that?_

_**And don't forget.**_

_Thump. Thump. Glass?_

_He found himself standing on a bright pillar, beautifully graced with a stained-glass painting of a boy he'd never seen before. The boy's eyes were closed, his hands cuffed, as if in meditation._

_**Hero from the realm of light.**_

_He looked up and noticed a large, stone statue of a six-horned dragon resting before him on the pillar. Its eyes were fierce, its body poised in a ferocious position as if it would attack at any given moment._

_He approached it._

_His footsteps thumped against the thick glass, echoing eerily throughout the void. _

_**Don't stop walking...**_

_A black smoke slithered from the edges of the stone statue. The smoke engulfed the pillar and then dissipated as quickly as it came. The image of the boy was gone, replaced by his own. His eyes were closed as well, but a thorny, black vine wrapped around his body, presenting a darker nature._

_**Denizen of darkness.**_

_As he reached the statue, the eyes flashed an angry crimson. The statue itself rumbled and cracked, and he backed away._

_**InTeRtWiNe...**_

_**You are the one.**_

_In a tremendous explosion of rock and debris, the statue was gone. In its place stood a black, snake-like dragon. Wisps of pure darkness flowed through every fibre of its being. The foundation shook at the powerful beast's very presence. Its reptilian eyes narrowed, glaring at him with a deleterious malice. It growled deeply in its throat. Its long, fanged mouth slowly curling into a malicious, toothy grin._

_**RiKu.**_

_As he backed away further, the dragon came closer._

_**RiKu...**_

_He was on the edge of the pillar, with nowhere left to run. His heart pounded rapidly in his chest. His breathing was ragged. If he didn't escape soon, it was going to kill him, slowly and painfully. The dragon swung its massive head and gave an almighty roar, revealing several rows of sharp, jagged teeth. _

_It lunged at him._

_**LeT mE oUt!**_

-----------

Reoccuring dreams were not a good sign.

It had been the third time he'd had this dream in the same week, and it was beginning to worry him.

Riku held his hand to his chest and found that his heart was still pounding from the fear. He glanced down at his still trembling hands, palms breaking out in a cold sweat. Taking deep breaths, the teen forced himself to calm down.

Even though he'd been sleeping all night, he felt exhausted. He knew now. Simply telling himself that it was just a dream was starting to lose its effect on his self-confidence. He felt it deep within his heart. He knew something big was going to happen.

But what it actually _was_, he didn't know.

Sighing softly, he settled back down into bed. The warmth from the sun in his window felt comforting on his skin after an experience like that. But he couldn't help feeling like he was forgetting something.

Something important...

Then it hit him.

Glancing at his clock, he realized that it was exactly 10:30 in the morning. He was supposed to meet his friends by the docks two hours ago!

Leaping from his bed, Riku quickly slipped on a short-sleeved hoodie and jeans and bolted out the door. Deep in his mind, he was still worried, but he had other concerns at the moment.

----------

By the time the silver-haired teen had arrived at the docks, it was nearly a quarter to noon. He had promised his friends the day before that they'd investigate the rumors of a supicious man in black who had been robbing people left and right. The burglaries had been going on for quite a few weeks, but only minor things were stolen. The man was said to be a refugee from a run-down town not too far off the coast, and had no home, no job, and no money. Hearing these terrible rumors, Riku felt very fortunate and grateful for what he had.

Surveying the docks, the silver-haired teen spotted his friends by the boats with a few bags and supplies. Just then, he realized in his haste, he'd forgotten his own bags at home. He considered going back and grabbing his bags real quick, but figured that his friends already had enough and could make do.

"Tidus! Wakka! Selphie! I'm here!" Riku called out.

The eldest male, Wakka, turned and noticed his friend at the foot of the docks, shouting and waving. "'Ey, Riku! Glad you could make it!"

"You're just in time!" The youngest girl, Selphie, added. "...where're your bags?"

"I forgot we were supposed to meet today, rushed out the door, and forgot 'em." Riku replied, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "Sorry about that."

"Ah, that's alright." Tidus replied. "We've probably got enough stuff here anyway. This is for you." Riku barely had time to react before Tidus tossed him a notebook, pen, and tape recorder. "Wakka says we each have our own bogus individual jobs. You're in charge of gathering information, Selphie's gonna search the town for clues, I'm in charge of evidence, and Wakka's gonna go out and find the crook."

"I didn't think he'd make this easy for us."

"This is Wakka, remember? You obviously can't expect that."

"We're all gonna meet back up here at the end of the day, ya?" Wakka quipped. "So no slackin' off. I expect a full report from you."

"Yes, _boss_."

"Good luck, Riku!" Selphie called back, and within seconds, the trio was off.

------

Infomation gathering, pfft. For a second, it seemed like an easy job.

Asking around town, the most information the silver-haired teen could get from anyone was that it was a man in a black coat, and that he stole something. This was getting him nowhere.

With an irritated sigh, Riku sat against a tree, laying the notebook, pen, and tape recorder to the side. It had been a long day, and already the sun was beginning to set. The sunset was beautiful, so close that he could almost touch it, and yet, so far away. The sky was painted with a brilliant array of oranges, purples, and reds, and was reflected against the vast ocean which only served to make it all the more wonderous. He wished he could bask in its glory more, but he had a job to finish. Reaching out to pick up his needed supplies, his hands only met the grainy, loose dirt of the ground below him.

It was gone!

The teen bolted upright and frantically looked around. Had someone taken his stuff when he wasn't looking? They must've. Riku knew he'd get the shorter end of the stick if Wakka ever found out he wasn't doing his job.

Wait. Useless stuff stolen? It had to be the man in black. Imagine the reward he'd get for catching him!

In the distance, a twig snapped. Looking over his shoulder, Riku found the figure in black desperately scrambling into the forest. Wasting no time, the silver-haired teen burst into a run, frantically trying to catch up with the man.

------

He'd already been looking for hours, but there was no sign of the man in black. Riku sighed. This wasn't going to be as easy as he'd expected. How hard could it have possibly been to find a man in a heavy, black coat during the _summer_?

"Great. Now what?"

A soft hissing in the distance suddenly caught his attention, followed by a ruffle of leaves.

_Oh, man. _Riku thought. _Don't let it be a snake. I hate snakes..._

Then a crackle.

_Wait... that can't be a snake._

The crackling behind him grew louder and louder until it almost deafened him. Feeling strangely warm all of a sudden, he turned around and noticed an enormous fire breaking out in the woods. It seared through the trees in a sweltering blaze and the flames seemed to dance and twist into the clear sky.

The fire rapidly grew and grew until the entire forest was ablaze. The brightness of the flames almost blinded him, and he was having trouble finding his way out. Riku never truly admitted he was afraid of anything, but the thought of slowly and painfully burning to death in a tremendous forest fire terrified him. He had to find a way out, fast.

_**Your 'friends' won't miss you.**_

Where was that voice coming from?

_**Nobody will. You'll burn here... alone.**_

He didn't know where to go. Everywhere he turned, the fire blocked his only chance of escape. The smoke from the seared trees and heat of the fire itself was beginning to suffocate him. He coughed and covered his mouth with his arm to attempt to block out the poisonous smoke, but it was already beginning to take its toll on his body. His limbs felt heavy... drained of energy.

_**All alone.**_

And he was getting _really_ sick of this voice.

Riku began to feel light-headed and weak as he tore through the forest. Embers flickered from the fire and trickled onto his skin, causing severe burns. He knew that if he didn't find a way out soon, either the smoke or the fire itself would most likely kill him.

"Help!" Riku coughed harshly. He hoped that someone, anyone, would hear him, but the deafening roar of the flames drowned out his desperate cries. "Please, help! Someone! Anyone!"

_**Nobody can help you. **_

He couldn't breathe; the heat of the fire was becoming too intense. His clothes were singed, and he barely found the strength to keep going. He called for help again, but his voice was too hoarse and he coughed again.

"Please..." Riku muttered, then crashed to his knees. He squeezed his eyes shut and struggled to keep his thoughts in order. The clarity of his mind was fading, suffocated by the intense heat. He couldn't do it. He knew now that he wouldn't be able to escape.

_Think. _Riku ordered himself. _Just keep thinking. Don't pass out here, don't!_

_**Now you're talking to yourself? How sad.**_

_Shut up!_

The burns from his body cried out in pain, and he found himself paralyzed by the agony. At that moment, he remembered about the man in black. Had he been caught in the blaze as well? Languidly forcing himself back to his feet, Riku took off through the fire, hoping to find the man and escape, but collapsed from fatigue soon after.

He didn't want to die like this, but it seemed like he had no other options. The flames danced and twirled, and his hazy mind seemed to, as well. He felt sick, sore, and weak. He grappled to hold onto consciousness, but it was a losing battle.

He couldn't fight it anymore. The fire, the woods, everything, seemed to fade into oblivion.

--------

It felt nice, just floating there in the darkness. No worries, no pain, no stress. For once, everything seemed at peace.

He became aware of his body again, but something seemed... off about it. Very off. Almost like this moment of peace wasn't meant to be. Why he thought that, he didn't know. Moving his fingers slowly, he felt something loose and grainy underneath him. Dirt, perhaps? Then that must've meant he wasn't in bed...

What happened?

As consciousness approached him, all the pain came sweltering back at that moment. He couldn't move. It was almost like he was on fire.

Fire? Fire! There was a fire!

Slowly opening his heavy, emerald eyes, Riku blinked a few times to clear his hazy mind. He felt completely stiff and sore. Judging from the way he felt, he must've caught on fire himself while he was out. But his clothes were gone... and he was in a dark cave of some sort. Several items were scattered about the cave; clothes, food, books...

And a... Gunblade?

What was going on?

"Hey."

Riku quickly glanced around the cave in search of the voice. It was definitely different from the one he'd been hearing lately.

"You alright?"

A short figure in black was watching him intently from the corner of the cave. This was the guy he was looking for... but why did he save him?

Riku struggled to say something, anything, but the pain of the burns became too overwhelming and all he could muster was a soft grunt. The figure in black strolled towards him and knelt down on one knee to get a better look at the teen. As the man came closer, Riku took notice that it wasn't even really a man. Rather, it was still a boy.

He smiled.

"Talk about running straight into the fire. You got a death wish or something?"

"I... I... " Riku groaned. He turned away from the boy, ashamed to even say it. "...I was chasing you." He muttered softly.

"Ah, I see." The boy nodded.

"...you're not mad?"

"Why would I be? You had every right to come after me."

"Oh."

The two sat in silence for a few moments. Looking out of the mouth of the cave, Riku noticed that the fire, as well as most of the forest, was gone. Nothing much was left, aside from the remains of the trees and bushes. The rain poured down heavily and thunder rumbled softly in the distance. Riku shivered from the cold.

Funny. Hot from the fire and cold from the rain. At the same time.

"Hey." Riku turned his attention back to the boy. "Where're my clothes?"

"Oh, yeah." The boy started. "Funny story about that..."

"I'm listening."

"Well... while you were out there... your clothes kinda caught fire and nearly burned through to you, so... I kinda, maybe... had to strip you."

"W-What?!" Riku shot up, but was driven back down by the dizziness in his mind. "So, now I have to run around naked?"

"Not exactly. I have some stuff here for you to wear."

Riku sighed. "Good."

Glancing down at his bare body, Riku noticed several severe burns on his arms, legs, and chest. Cool, wet cloths were placed over a few of the burns, but his body still ached intensely. He really hoped his friends hadn't followed him into that forest. ...But what if they did? Were they still alive? The thought of anyone dying by his own fault was a terrible burden to bear.

"Uh, can I ask you something?"

"Sure." The boy replied.

"Are... are my friends alright? Were they in the fire too?" He wanted to know. He _had _to know.

"Yes, they're alright. No, they weren't in the fire."

Riku breathed a sigh of relief.

"But..." The boy's tone took a more solemn pitch, which made Riku anxious. "I really don't know how to say this, uh..."

"What?"

The boy remained silent for a bit, obviously trying to figure out the best way to explain what he needed to say. He looked scared. "Y-your... uh... Because they found your clothes out there pretty much burned to nothing... your friends think you're... uh... dead. I-I'm really, really sorry. I heard them talking, and..."

Riku's eyes widened in shock. "D... d-dead?" He stammered. "You're... you're lying. This... you're just trying to scare me."

The boy remained silent.

Riku drew in a shaky breath, trying to regain his composure. "...Y-you're not lying... are you?"

The boy shook his head. "Almost the same thing happened to me a long time ago."

Riku turned his attention to the boy, trying his hardest to change the subject away from the thought of everyone thinking he was killed. "What happened?"

The boy looked to the ground. Underneath the hood, Riku could faintly make out tears from the boy's eyes.

"If it's a personal question, you don't have to--"

"My... my parents were caught in a house fire." The boy interrupted. "I got away, but... since nobody could find me, they all assumed I died along with my parents. It... It was terrifying." The boy quickly swept an arm over his tear-stained eyes. "So, I travelled here for awhile and, since I lost everything, I had to... steal in order to survive."

"Why didn't you just tell everyone you were alive?"

"I couldn't do it. I was too afraid of what they'd think." The boy turned to the entrance of the cave. The rain had died down somewhat, but it was still pouring heavily.

"I'm sorry."

"For you, I really suggest getting out of here. If you go back, everyone might think it was just a sick joke and ridicule you. Also, with you gone, they'll most likely sell your stuff. You'll be left with nothing by the time you get there."

"But... I don't know where I should go."

"I'll help you. I've been meaning to get out of here anyway." The sorrow from the boy's voice began to die away. "There's a train leading to a town far away from here nearby. We'll board in the morning."

"How? We don't have any tickets."

"I do. I managed to swipe some off an old woman who accidentally ordered a few extra."

"Thanks." Riku replied, rubbing his sore shoulder.

"You should get some sleep now."

"Yeah." Riku yawned. "Heh, I feel like crap."

Riku was about to doze off when he remembered something important. "Oh yeah, before I forget. I never got your name."

The boy smiled. Pulling down his hood, a young face with bright, turquoise eyes, and hazel hair with light, blonde streaks spiked up at unusual angles was revealed. "Sora."


	3. Danger

**Kingdom Bastion: Session II**

The morning dawn was Sora's favourite time of the day.

The birds chirping, the rising sun, and the hope of a new day upon the otherwise distressful brunette always seemed to put his troubled mind at ease. The world was calm for once; the bright rays of sunshine spreading a golden sign of hope across the seared remains of the trees and bushes of the forest.

The heavy rain had finally died down earlier that morning, and the sky was free of the murky, sunlight-robbing clouds.

Deep in his mind, he knew that, over time, the flaky, ashen remains would soon develop into a newer, stronger form of life. Whenever there was death, there was life. The forest would regain its natural beauty, and everything would just be normal again.

Slipping on a pair of sunny-yellow boots, the boy strolled over to the still-slumbering, silver-haired teen on the far edge of the cave, and proceeded to attempt to prod the boy awake with his foot. Nothing.

But, how odd for someone to have silver hair in the first place.

Sora had always thought he was a bit strange himself, looking and sounding a lot younger than he actually was, being seventeen years old and all, but few people he'd seen rarely had long, silver hair. How old was this guy anyway? Eighteen? Nineteen years old? Maybe he was an albino; they usually had white hair and pale skin at young ages.

The teen shifted slightly in his sleep, wincing as a loose mound of dirt dusted into one of the burns. They were beginning to look slightly better, but the boy couldn't help but wonder if they were as uncomfortable as they looked.

_Not that I would know. _Sora guiltfully thought.

What was his name, anyway? He'd forgotten to ask before the teen dozed off.

His friends had said it. What was it? It started with an 'r', he knew that much.

Ri... something.

Rico? Ricky?

Squeezing his eyes shut, Sora struggled to remember the older male's name.

_Ri..._

_Ri... _

_**Riku.**_

Sora's deep, turquoise eyes flew back open as the gentle voice popped into his head. That sure was weird. Who said that?

Quickly glancing around the cave, he found nobody else other than him and...

_**Riku.**_

"Riku?" Sora echoed softly.

"Mnn... ?" Riku moaned groggily, opening his tired eyes slowly.

Well, this was definately a good start.

------

"So, where's this train station?"

"Right down this road."

Sora and Riku had been walking for a few hours now. With new clothes and a strengthened resolve, they eagerly awaited what they would come across in this new town. Sora walked ahead of Riku, happily humming and swinging 'his' Gunblade around.

Riku had been given a weapon as well, if the occasion arose. A beautifully crafted sword in the shape of a black and crimson bat-wing with a sparkling cerulean jewel in the center of the handle, in the shape of a fearce dragon eye. Apparently, Sora had been stealing so much over the years, he'd never been able to keep track of where he actually got everything, and was at a complete loss for the strange sword's origin.

The trip to the train station was a great way for the two males to make conversation and get to know each other better.

Sora claimed to come from a small family from a village not too far from Riku's; the sparkling, silver crown chain around his neck said to be a gift from his mother when he was still a young child. He'd never taken it off since, and, oddly enough, it never seemed to tarnish or rust.

Riku had never truly known his father, and lived with his mother for most of his life. The silver hair was said to be a trait of his father's, and his mother had claimed that Riku was a striking resemblance to him. Riku's mother had died a few years earlier, and he was left on his own in the village, something the two boys had in common.

After a few minutes of talking, they eventually arrived at the train station, and boarded a small train headed to a town just a few miles away, using the tickets Sora had swiped earilier. Nobody seemed to say a word about the strange weapons hanging from the boys' backs, and that suited them just fine. Suspicion was definately the last thing they needed at the moment. The steam-whistle of the train blew, and, slowly, but surely, it chugged off.

The train-ride was relatively slow-moving, and very few passengers had boarded. Ocassionally, the train would stop, and someone, or, at times, groups of people would dismount to their destinations. The train would get moving again, and, eventually, Sora and Riku were the only two left to ride. For the longest time, however, neither male said a word to each other, both lost in their own individual thoughts. Sora was a bit more energetic than Riku, hopping up from his seat from time to time to glance out the train's window.

Riku had taken this opportunity to gaze once again upon the strange, key-like sword. It was weird... the sword seemed oddly familiar, even though he'd never seen it before. Sora hopped down from the window to glance at the metallic weapon himself.

"You know... this reminds me of something." Sora spoke up. "Have you ever heard the legend?"

"What legend?"

"Of the two spirit-dragons, Solaris and Rigel? The peacekeepers of the universe?"

"No, what is it?"

"If I remember correctly from what my mother told me, Solaris and Rigel were both supposedly born at the same time as the universe." Sora began, leaning back into the seat's cushions. "Solaris represents light, and Rigel represents darkness, one being born from the sun, the other born of the stars. Eventually, the two forces clashed, and ultimately destroyed each other in the fight. They were reborn as spirits, and watch over the worlds as their guardians, taking on several different shapes and sizes every century or so."

"Weird story. You do know that dragons don't exist though, right?"

"Mm, yeah. But it's still a cool story." Sora grinned. "She told me it before the fire happened. I was a bit skeptical at first, but hey, anything's possible, right?"

"Yeah." Riku nodded with a small smile. Within the short time he'd gotten to know Sora, the boy was starting to grow on him. He enjoyed his positive outlook on life, and it was a tremendous relief to the stress and worry of the usual society. He liked that about him, he really did.

Suddenly, the train violently squealed to a stop and Riku and Sora were nearly thrown out of their seats. The lights on the train flickered out, and the two boys were left in a pitch-black darkness. They faintly heard the rumble of thunder and rain heavily pelting down. Sora hopped up from his seat to glance out the window yet again. Dark, swirling clouds loomed over them, and lightning streaked across the sky. The wind howled with great force and the train rocked side to side by the immense wind.

"Huh, that's weird." Sora stated from the window. "I could've _sworn _it was sunny out just a minute ago."

"I'll go ask the conductor about this." Riku lifted himself off the floor and headed to the front of the train, Sora watching the sudden storm curiously from the window. If he looked closely, he could've sworn he saw the shadows _moving_.

Within a few minutes, Riku's frantic screams erupted from the conductor's booth. Sora forced himself to pull away from the window and darted to the front of the train as fast as his legs could carry him, nearly tripping a few times long the way. When the boy slammed open the heavy, metal door, he saw a very horrifying sight.

The conductor seemed to be... dissolving.

Sora backed into the wall, terrified and sickened at the same time. "W... what should we do, Riku?"

Riku looked just as horrified as his hazel-haired companion. "I... I-I don't know... We need to get out of here and tell someo--" The older male was cut off by a quick streak of blackness brushing past him. More black figures rose up, forming a circle and surrounding the two. Beady, yellow eyes burned in their sockets, and their movements were twitchy and spaztic. The shadows readied their dagger-like claws and leapt into the air.

"RUN!" Sora and Riku ran through the dark train, but everywhere they turned, they were met with more and more of the strange creatures. They seemed to be multiplying by the minute. Thinking quickly, Sora reached for his Gunblade on its holster, but when he pulled it out, it wasn't even a Gunblade anymore.

Cyan and transparent, with beautiful white wings adorning the handle and edges, it sliced through the dark shadows with ease. Slicing the metal door open, Sora darted out into the storm, leaving Riku alone in the train to fight off the creatures with his own weapon. "Hey, wait!" The silver-haired male called out. "Where're you going?"

"We need to try to get everyone in town to safety! Follow me!"

Slicing through yet another shadow, Riku bolted out of the train as the dark creatures toppled the massive vehicle over. Gazing into the storm with rain-stung eyes, the teen attempted to navigate his way into the next town, fighting off more and more of the creatures as he went. They began to take different shapes and sizes as he approached the town, some being large and fearce-looking, others being smaller and resembling soldiers.

"Sora, where are you?" Riku's voice was lost in the storm, and he failed to hear a response.

When the silver-haired teen arrived in town, his horror only grew. It was in ruins, complete and utter ruins. There wasn't a single person around and that led the male to think that the shadows had gotten them all. They were too late. There was still no sign of Sora either, and Riku's worry grew by the second.

What was going _on_?

The teen sifted through the ruins, desperate to find any survivors, any at all, in the rubble. The shadows lurced and twirled around him in a dizzying dance, and he backed away. He had no idea what was happening, but he knew that if he didn't get somewhere safe soon, they'd kill him in a heartbeat. Glancing at the top of a large stone statue, he saw a familiar figure standing at its peak, gazing out into the massive storm.

"Sora!" Riku called to his friend, but Sora didn't seem to hear him. The teen bolted to the base of the statue and called to his friend again, but Sora only stared into the storm-battered sky.

"Look." The younger boy whispered. "There. You see it?"

Still slightly confused at his friend's sudden, strange behaviour, Riku followed Sora's gaze and noticed a giant, wispy rift of darkness in the sky. White lightning crackled around it, and pieces of debris and land flew into it. Reaching out to the sky with one hand, Sora whispered, "It's time."

Black vines seemed to grow from the statue and entangle Sora's body within an instant. Riku desperately attempted to climb the large statue and reach him in time, but the vines had already completely engulfed his friend's body, and he was gone in a flash of black smoke.

The wind grew with powerful force, and Riku was blown off the statue as it crumbled and drifted into the rift. The silver-haired teen fell to his knees. He was alone. All alone to face this impending disaster. The islands were being destroyed and he could do nothing but sit there and await his doom.

_**Lonely, are we?**_

For once in his entire life, Riku was happy to be haunted by the annoying voice.

_**Voice? Oh, no. I'm very real, Riku.**_

The boy's hairs stood on end at these words. Slowly turning around, he found the giant, black dragon from his dreams staring him right in the face. Only this time, it wasn't a dream.

It was real. The dragon could really kill him this time.

"What do you want from me?"

The dragon crawled closer and motioned for Riku to do the same. Still skeptical, the boy approached the beast, uncertain of what devious plans it had in store.

_**I want to help.**_

The dragon's breath wisped across Riku's nostrils and he leapt back. "Why would you want to do that?" He growled, readying his weapon. The dragon gave no reply other than a sinister chuckle, one that sent cold shivers down the boy's spine.

_**Fight me.**_

Each word was laced with a hiss, black smoke swirling around the beast's body and through its mouth, dissapating in the air as soon as it came. Its anger grew rapidly at the boy's hesitation and it snapped at him.

_**Fight me!**_

At that moment, the town, the islands, everything was gone. Darkness surrounded them both, but Riku still stood firm, not ready to give in to the dragon's demands.

_**Why do you not fight? Are you afraid?**_

"No."

_**Fight me, and you will be free.**_

"I don't trust you." The boy backed away slowly.

The beast's eyes narrowed at his opponent, and it licked several rows of jagged teeth eagerly. It grinned.

_**I like your attitude... little boy.**_

Suddenly, Riku felt something thick and tight grip around him. A cold sensastion swept through him as he struggled to break free. This wasn't a dream, he couldn't just wake up from it this time. It was really happening.

The darkness gripped him tighter and tighter, wrapping around his torso, his neck, and eventually, his head.

_**This is your destiny. Make it worthwhile.**_

Riku felt himself slipping away, slipping into the darkness. He knew he couldn't escape.

Just as he was ready to give up, another voice boomed into his head.

_"Don't give up!"_

A blinding flash of white light surrounded him, and he was free of his bonds. He looked down to see a young black mage staring him in the face. Its clothes were patchy and baggy, its shoes looked too large for its feet, and it wore a large, stapled hat with a star, a comet, and a zipper all in the shape of a face with a sparkling, magenta crystal ball wedged into the zipper.

"Hi." The mage smiled.

"...Who are you?"

The little wizard turned around to glance at the dragon before them. He didn't seem fazed by it at all.

"This guy causing you any trouble?"

Riku was at a complete loss for words.

"Give me a sec." The mage twirled around its wooden staff and pointed it at the dragon. The dragon growled half-intrigued and half-confused. "Hang onto something, this'll get a little bumpy."

Within seconds, the darkness was replaced by an intense, blinding light, and Riku, the mage, and the dragon were all engulfed into it.


End file.
